Practice attachment for golf clubs



Dec. 9, 1952 J. B. SLOAN 2,621,044

PRACTICE ATTACHMENT FOR pom" CLUBS Filed Jan. 5, 1951 21 fizz/6212507,"

Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in golf practice devices, andmore particularly to an attachment for golf clubs of conventional formfor teaching the correct manner of swinging a club to hit a ballsquarely without slicing or hooking in regular play.

The device of the present invention utilizes the same principlesembodied in the golf practice club disclosed in my copending applicationbearing Serial Number 184,077, filed September 9, 1950, excepting thatthe device of the present invention is especially designed forattachment to a conventional golf club instead of requiring a specialform of golf club.

My invention is based primarily upon the conception generally acceptedby those familiar with the game of golf that to propel a ball in astraight line it should be struck by the club head while the latter ismoving in a path with the club face exposed at a right angle to thedesired line of flight and without cutting across the ball from insideout or from outside in. Therefore, most golf professionals endeavor toteach the player to perfect a uniform path or are of swing of the golfclub for regular play, wherein the face of the club head meets the ballat right angles and is swung through a substantially elongated arc ofseveral inches immediately before and after impact.

In carrying out the present invention, I provide a novel form ofauxiliary head which can be readily attached to the head of a standardor conventional golf club whereby the player can, under guidance ofcompetent instructions, readily develop a most effective, properlygrooved golf swing for expert play.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my novel device, showing it attachedto the head of a conventional golf club;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of the attachmentremoved from the golf club;

Figure 3 is a front face view of the attachment applied to the golfclub, and showing the manner in which the device is used to span apractice golf ball;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an illustrative diagram indicating the manner in which thedevice should be swung with relation to a practice golf ball in making aproper golf shot.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of my invention illustratedin the drawings, the practice device indicated generally at Ill consistsessentially of an auxiliary head having two elongated parallel, uprightblades I2 and I3 and a transverse bridge member I4 adapted fordetachable connection to the under face of a conventional golf clubhead, indicated at I5.

In the form shown herein, the blades and bridge member are made of asingle piece of perforated sheet metal bent in inverted U-shaped form incross section, as shown in Figure 3. The blades extend in tapering formtoward one end of the device, which may be considered the rear endthereof. The two blades have outwardly extending flanges I6 along theirbottom edges where they engage the ground, said flanges beingsubstantially straight throughout the major portion of their length, butsaid flanges being curved upwardly at the front ends of the blades, asindicated at I1.

As will be seen from Figures 3, 4 and 5, the blades I2 and I3 are spacedapart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of a standard golfball, indicated at A, and the bridge member I4 spans the blades at aheight above the bot tom edges of the latter a distance slightly greaterthan the diameter of the ball, thus forming an open channel, indicatedgenerally at B, along the under face of the device sufficient to clear agolf ball or object of similar size and shape, either when the ball A orequivalent practice object, is resting on the ground, as shown in fulllines in Figure 3, or is slightly elevated as on a tee shown dotted inFigure 3.

The means for detachably connecting the device to the under face of agolf club head includes a seating plate 20 which may be fixed to theupper face of the bridge member I4 to form a part thereof. The seatingplate is of suitable shape to fit the particular type of club head withwhich the device is to be employed. In the form shown in the severalfigures, the device is especially adapted for attachment to a driver I5and, for this purpose, the seating plate has an upwardly turned flange2| along its front edge adapted to form an abutment for the strikingface 22 of the club head. In addition, the seating plate has an inwardlyprojecting extension 23 curved upwardly toward its extremity of suchshape that the heel 24 of the club head may be nested thereagainst whenthe club head is in seated relation with respect to the practice device.The seating plate 20 and the curved extension 23 thus form stops toposition the center of the striking face 22 of the golf clubsubstantially in vertical alignment above the center or the open channelB, and at right angles thereto.

It will be manifest that the seating plate may be modified toaccommodate club heads of any other kind, such as conventional playingirons and putters.

Any suitable securing means for the device may be provided, in thepreferred form shown such means consisting of a relatively short lengthof strap 25 which maybe passed beneath the bridge member lengthwise ofthe device and upwardly around the flange 2| at the front end of theseating plate and thence over and around the upper the club head, asshownin Figures 1 and face of 3, and finally secured by a able form. Oneadvantage buckle 26 of any suit- Refef ring 3 new .more particularly.to, the preferred; dimensions.. o f. theflblades l2 and. [3;for out theobjects of my. invention, I find that, when the device is intendedfonuse withthe longersh fted clubs, such as a.,driver or.-brass ie,theblades are preferably about 6 ,to,,8 inches in length, should bespaced apart about. 2 to 2 /2 inches from each other, andbeabout v2 .to./2 inches high. For use on conventional;.clubspf shortervlengths, andhence, having asQmeWhat shorter normal swinging arc, the blades may be,

madecorrespondinglyshorter in length; although in the case .of use witha putter, it be .desir. able to make theblades as long-or, even ,lon'ger.t e. blades designed for use .with .a,driver, particularly in cases.where :the player ,desires, to

perfect. a putting; stroke with a relatively .long,

straight follow-through. It will be understood,v

hqwever, that V the dimensions above. mentioned.

are not particularly critical and may be varied; to suit thaneeds of theplayer.-

The use-:and advantagesbf a practicedevicemade in accordancewith-myinvention will, be manifest'from. the foregoing description. Thepractice device is attachedtothe-head of a standard club in the mannerdescribedytheclub is used in the manner indicated diagrammatically inFigure wherein the pr acticeball,w indicated at A, should be swung-atbytheplayer with the object of missing the ball completely. Inordertoaccomplish this, it is essential that the-clubhead; relativelywide arc. and; with the.

be swung; in a V blades; l 2 and, I3 movinginthe same direction as marnate :fi glitfl t eba l e she t me of using astrapof: this kind is thatit does not tend. to, mat the substantially as great as the length ofsaid blades; otherwise, should the club head be turned at even a slightangle to the desired line of flight, the object ball A will be contactedor struck by one or the other of the blades so as to indicate to theplayer that his swing has been improperly executed.

Although the practice ball or object A may consist of a conventionalgolf ball, for best results apracticeball of the same size but made ofwool, cotton, plastic or similar material commonly employed for makingpractice shots will be found preferable, since such balls travel but alimited distance as compared with conventional balls and also are not sosubject to damage or injury.

After a player becomes accustomed to the use cfrmy improved form ofpractice device with his golf club, he will soon learn to recognize andcorrect. mistakes in his golf swing by noting characteristic behaviorsof the practice ball when the swingis made improperly soastostrike theball with one blade of thepracticedevice or theother, asthecasemay be.

Although I have shownand described certain embodiments of my-invention,itwillbe understood that I do not wish to be limitedto the exactconstruction as described but that various changes or modifications maybemadewithout departing from the spiritor scope. of theinventionasdefined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A. golf practice deviceforconventional golf clubs, consisting ofanauxiliary, head generally U-shaped in cross section with abridgemember and depending. parallel bladeswith continuousgroundengagingbottom edges forming an open elongated groove alongthe-under face. of said head ofsufficient width and height to clearanobject of substantiallythe same diameter as a conventional golf ballwhenthe latter is in normal playing position relativev to the. ground, andmeans on said bridge member affording detachable interfitting engagementwith the head of a conventional golf club.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means affordingdetachable engagement with a. golf club includes an upstanding stop forreceiving-the front face of the golf club, and a laterally extendingstop for positioning the striking face of the club head substantially-invertical alignment over and at right anglesto the-groove auxiliary head;JOSEPH B. SLOAN.

alongthe'under faceof the Number 2.563.276 Riley Aug. '7, 1951 Parrish;June 7, 1949.

